The objective of this project was to conduct refrigerant R-290 (propane) leak and ignition testing under whole room-scale conditions to develop data and insight into the risks associated with the use of Class A3 Refrigerants and to generate technical data to support revisions of relevant safety standards.
The entire project included parametric testing to investigate how key variables (refrigerant charge amount, release rate and height, etc.) influence the ‘ignition event’ under whole room-scale scenarios. It involved releasing liquid R-290 refrigerant into spaces with a variety of viable ignition sources present. The testing scenario simulated the following:
- Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner(PTAC)
- mini-split air conditioner(AC) in a typical motel room
- a single door reach-in cooler
- three-door reach-in cooler in a convenience store
All the tests were conducted by Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) under the supervision of AHRTI and CARB. Tests were performed at the UL facility in Northbrook, IL.